Hotel
Created by Ernie's
Wed 09/21/05 (day 1)
Brisbane to Denver
Wednesday, 21st September 2005.
Brisbane, Australia (BNE) to Denver, USA (DEN)
Well, the first day of my trip and my first flight leaves at 12.40pm from Brisbane (BNE) which is about 90 minutes from where I live on the Gold Coast.
I catch a door-to-door shuttle to the Airport which of course means getting there almost 4 hours before the plane leaves (they always factor in an hour + delay in traffic just in case), so all in all it was an early start to a very long day!
Now any normal person would fly direct from Brisbane to Los Angeles, or from Coolangatta to Sydney to Los Angeles, but since I was using Frequent Flyer points (60000 of them) and I could only use them on Star Alliance I had to fly Air New Zealand or United. Since United only flies out of Sydney or Melbourne and me being strapped for cash as it were, I decided to fly out of Brisbane, which meant Air New Zealand which in turn meant flying via New Zealand (I know great shock hey!)
25 Sep 2005
BNE 1240
AKL 1740 (3 hours + 2 hours time difference)
Dunno what seat I was in, although it was an aisle seat (I always choose an aisle seat) and it was in Cattle Class - or Economy or whatever fancy name the airlines come up to make them feel better about cramping 200 people into a small space for hours on end.
The plane took off on time, and we were served lunch which was descibed as a ham and cheese bap(p). Never heard of a bap before, but it's New Zealand for a Ham and Cheese Bread Roll it seemed, which was fine, not the best meal I've ever had, certainly not the worst.
We also flew from Brisbane to Auckland on at that time (or so I was told) the only aircraft fitted with their new AVOD (Audio Visual on Demand) badged as New Individual Digital On Demand System. Worked very well to, better than the one Qantas uses or so I've heard, although their's may be different.
Anyway decided to watch Mr and Mrs Smith and got about 10 minutes before the end and they discontinued the service as we were landing, over rolling hills into the City of Sails, Auckland.
Well I had a full 2 hours in Auckland before my next flight to Los Angeles, and since Auckland was undergoing some major renovations there were a lot of shops etc that had been relocated, moved etc so it was slim pickings as to what to do. I walked up and down the shopping area in about 15 minutes. I found a Burger King, and wondered if I was hungry (it was only 4.00pm back home) decided I wasn't, but decided I was bored so I visited the King anyway.
Ordered a Hawaiian Whopper meal, basically a Whopper with pineapple and bacon, so when I got it I ate the fries and then found the Whopper had no pineapple. So I took it back and they replaced it and gave me more fries. I wasn't hungry to begin with and to be honest the fries were the best part. Basically it was a sloppy mess.
Did some more walking, bought a travel adapter, and a magazine and then went to the boarding gate for my flight to Los Angeles.
25 Sep 2005
NZ006 (Air New Zealand)
AKL 1945 (0745pm) - LAX 1240 (1240pm) 25 Sep
11 hr 55 mins flight (-19 hrs time difference)
Well we got the same plane to Los Angeles as we got from Brisbane because it had the new fangled Entertainment System on board.
Again got an aisle seat and sat next to 2 nice people from Auckland who were going to Florida for a cruise. Although the flight wasn't empty it was by no means full and there was a full set of 4 seats in the middle which were empty but someone took up residence pretty quickly. I'm never one to jump into an empty seat for some reason so I usually get to sit next to 2 people on these flights.
Anyway they served Dinner, and since we had the new fangled video system, I worked out you could fast forward through a movie, so I got to see the end of Mr and Mrs Smith.
Then I tried to get some sleep and at one point I woke up and looked over at the row of four once empty seats, which were now occupied by a woman stretched out. She looked up and said `I can never get to sleep on planes'. I came so close (so close Ricky) to saying, you think it's tough sleeping on four seats lying down, try doing it in one sitting up. But I just grunted and closed my eyes again.
It was light soon enough, then breakfast, then I don't know what else, but we landed in Los Angeles at 1240, pretty much on time.
Time wise it had taken me exactly 0 minutes to go from BNE-AKL-LAX - I left at 1240 on the 25th and arrived at 1240 on the 25th. Ahh the magic of time zones and the International Date Line.
OK, off the plane, through Customs and Immigration or Immigration and Customs (never worked out or really care which is which). Nothing too difficult except the fingerprint scan and he said `Put you left index finger on the pad'. I worked out which was my left hand but then couldn't work out my index finger - I guessed the middle one and he took that, repeat with the right one - `Welcome to the US, Enjoy your stay. Next!'.
I'm sure some people may disagree but Los Angeles Airport is not the friendliest or most cheerful airport on the planet, that's all I gotta say about it.
Collected my baggage and then had to recheck them onward, at least I didn't have to lug it halfway across LA's multiple terminals to check it in again. My little baggage tag said: BNE - AKL - LAX - DEN - BNA - that last destination BNA (Nashville) would come back and bite me in the you know where later that night.
Tried to figure out where my next flight on United left from, as LAX has a number of terminals. Finally found it, and waited for my flight to Denver. I'm sure I had some lunch at LAX as well, although what I had I have no idea.
I also would have shopped in the Newsagent and bought some magazines, titles we don't have in Australia as well as titles we get but not for several months after they have been published in the US.
25 Sep 2005
UA326 (United Airlines)
LAX 1537 (0337pm) - DEN 1852 (0652pm) 25 Sep
2 hrs 15 mins (+1 hr time difference)
Non eventful flight from memory, although LAX became eventful just after we left. Another aisle seat, see a pattern here!
Landed in Denver pretty much on time at about 7pm.
Went and got some dinner to take away and eat at the hotel (some steak place burger thing), and went to get my bag.
<<< REWIND <<< To about 11am on the 25th in Brisbane, checking in for my first flight. The attendant checked me through to Denver as the flight to Nashville, being the next day was too far out to issue me a boarding pass, but she checked my bag through to Nashville. So me to Denver - my baggage to Nashville.
>>> FORWARD >>> Me standing at the baggage carousel in Denver Airport. After about 30 minutes and me standing there on my lonesome, I went to the Baggage counter and enquired. Of course, since my bag was checked to Nashville even though it was an overnight stopover, it wouldn't have been sent out for collection, but would have been somewhere in the bowels of Denvers International Airport (DIA).
I explained I'd been in the same clothes, no shower, etc for coming up 24 hours, so I was given an Amenity Kit which included Shampoo, Soap, Deoderant, Comb, Razor, Shaving Cream, Hair Spray, Breath Mints, Hand Lotion, Tootbrush and Toothpaste etc. So apart from having no change of clothes, I was satisfied.
I also took this time to get my boarding pass to Nashville the next morning, I mean my bag had their `boarding pass' so I may as well get mine. I also asked where I should go to pick up my hotel shuttle. The lady asked if I had called for one and I said I didn't know if I had to or if they just came at regular intervals. So she called the hotel and they said they'd send the shuttle and it would be about 20 minutes.
All in all she did a good job and helped me out!
The shuttle was more like 40 minutes, but got talking to some other people who were waiting for shuttles. Apparently just after the plane I was on took off from Los Angeles they had an emergency with another plane where the landing gear wouldn't retract after taking off and had to make an emergency landing back at LAX, so all the flights were delayed for an hour or more.
Finally, the shuttle turned up and we were on our way to the hotel. As this was a frequent flyer award I picked the cheapest hotel that had a free shuttle, which was Sleep Inn at about $50 for the night.
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We arrived, and there were some people there checking in who had missed their connections because of the problems at LAX. The hotel only had `smoking' rooms left which didn't impress some people. Since I had a reservation, I got my non smoking room and checked in.
Got to the room and noticed after a few minutes a `beep' every 30 seconds or so. I knew what it was - the smoke detector battery. I phoned the lobby and they said they could send back the shuttle driver after he comes back from the airport but that may be a while. So I went downstairs and got a replacement battery myself and changed it.
Ate my dinner, which was pretty edible for some take away stuff I bought almost 2 hours earlier.
Had a shower, changed into (oh that's right all my `changed into' clothes were somewhere in the bowels of Denver Airport) my underwear (I know gross) and went to bed - it was about 10pm Denver Time, 2pm on the 26th Brisbane time and apart from the couple restless hours on the plane from Auckland to Los Angeles I'd just clocked up around 33 hours without any sleep.
Goodnight.....
Brisbane, Australia (BNE) to Denver, USA (DEN)
Well, the first day of my trip and my first flight leaves at 12.40pm from Brisbane (BNE) which is about 90 minutes from where I live on the Gold Coast.
I catch a door-to-door shuttle to the Airport which of course means getting there almost 4 hours before the plane leaves (they always factor in an hour + delay in traffic just in case), so all in all it was an early start to a very long day!
Now any normal person would fly direct from Brisbane to Los Angeles, or from Coolangatta to Sydney to Los Angeles, but since I was using Frequent Flyer points (60000 of them) and I could only use them on Star Alliance I had to fly Air New Zealand or United. Since United only flies out of Sydney or Melbourne and me being strapped for cash as it were, I decided to fly out of Brisbane, which meant Air New Zealand which in turn meant flying via New Zealand (I know great shock hey!)
25 Sep 2005
BNE 1240
AKL 1740 (3 hours + 2 hours time difference)
Dunno what seat I was in, although it was an aisle seat (I always choose an aisle seat) and it was in Cattle Class - or Economy or whatever fancy name the airlines come up to make them feel better about cramping 200 people into a small space for hours on end.
The plane took off on time, and we were served lunch which was descibed as a ham and cheese bap(p). Never heard of a bap before, but it's New Zealand for a Ham and Cheese Bread Roll it seemed, which was fine, not the best meal I've ever had, certainly not the worst.
We also flew from Brisbane to Auckland on at that time (or so I was told) the only aircraft fitted with their new AVOD (Audio Visual on Demand) badged as New Individual Digital On Demand System. Worked very well to, better than the one Qantas uses or so I've heard, although their's may be different.
Anyway decided to watch Mr and Mrs Smith and got about 10 minutes before the end and they discontinued the service as we were landing, over rolling hills into the City of Sails, Auckland.
Well I had a full 2 hours in Auckland before my next flight to Los Angeles, and since Auckland was undergoing some major renovations there were a lot of shops etc that had been relocated, moved etc so it was slim pickings as to what to do. I walked up and down the shopping area in about 15 minutes. I found a Burger King, and wondered if I was hungry (it was only 4.00pm back home) decided I wasn't, but decided I was bored so I visited the King anyway.
Ordered a Hawaiian Whopper meal, basically a Whopper with pineapple and bacon, so when I got it I ate the fries and then found the Whopper had no pineapple. So I took it back and they replaced it and gave me more fries. I wasn't hungry to begin with and to be honest the fries were the best part. Basically it was a sloppy mess.
Did some more walking, bought a travel adapter, and a magazine and then went to the boarding gate for my flight to Los Angeles.
25 Sep 2005
NZ006 (Air New Zealand)
AKL 1945 (0745pm) - LAX 1240 (1240pm) 25 Sep
11 hr 55 mins flight (-19 hrs time difference)
Well we got the same plane to Los Angeles as we got from Brisbane because it had the new fangled Entertainment System on board.
Again got an aisle seat and sat next to 2 nice people from Auckland who were going to Florida for a cruise. Although the flight wasn't empty it was by no means full and there was a full set of 4 seats in the middle which were empty but someone took up residence pretty quickly. I'm never one to jump into an empty seat for some reason so I usually get to sit next to 2 people on these flights.
Anyway they served Dinner, and since we had the new fangled video system, I worked out you could fast forward through a movie, so I got to see the end of Mr and Mrs Smith.
Then I tried to get some sleep and at one point I woke up and looked over at the row of four once empty seats, which were now occupied by a woman stretched out. She looked up and said `I can never get to sleep on planes'. I came so close (so close Ricky) to saying, you think it's tough sleeping on four seats lying down, try doing it in one sitting up. But I just grunted and closed my eyes again.
It was light soon enough, then breakfast, then I don't know what else, but we landed in Los Angeles at 1240, pretty much on time.
Time wise it had taken me exactly 0 minutes to go from BNE-AKL-LAX - I left at 1240 on the 25th and arrived at 1240 on the 25th. Ahh the magic of time zones and the International Date Line.
OK, off the plane, through Customs and Immigration or Immigration and Customs (never worked out or really care which is which). Nothing too difficult except the fingerprint scan and he said `Put you left index finger on the pad'. I worked out which was my left hand but then couldn't work out my index finger - I guessed the middle one and he took that, repeat with the right one - `Welcome to the US, Enjoy your stay. Next!'.
I'm sure some people may disagree but Los Angeles Airport is not the friendliest or most cheerful airport on the planet, that's all I gotta say about it.
Collected my baggage and then had to recheck them onward, at least I didn't have to lug it halfway across LA's multiple terminals to check it in again. My little baggage tag said: BNE - AKL - LAX - DEN - BNA - that last destination BNA (Nashville) would come back and bite me in the you know where later that night.
Tried to figure out where my next flight on United left from, as LAX has a number of terminals. Finally found it, and waited for my flight to Denver. I'm sure I had some lunch at LAX as well, although what I had I have no idea.
I also would have shopped in the Newsagent and bought some magazines, titles we don't have in Australia as well as titles we get but not for several months after they have been published in the US.
25 Sep 2005
UA326 (United Airlines)
LAX 1537 (0337pm) - DEN 1852 (0652pm) 25 Sep
2 hrs 15 mins (+1 hr time difference)
Non eventful flight from memory, although LAX became eventful just after we left. Another aisle seat, see a pattern here!
Landed in Denver pretty much on time at about 7pm.
Went and got some dinner to take away and eat at the hotel (some steak place burger thing), and went to get my bag.
<<< REWIND <<< To about 11am on the 25th in Brisbane, checking in for my first flight. The attendant checked me through to Denver as the flight to Nashville, being the next day was too far out to issue me a boarding pass, but she checked my bag through to Nashville. So me to Denver - my baggage to Nashville.
>>> FORWARD >>> Me standing at the baggage carousel in Denver Airport. After about 30 minutes and me standing there on my lonesome, I went to the Baggage counter and enquired. Of course, since my bag was checked to Nashville even though it was an overnight stopover, it wouldn't have been sent out for collection, but would have been somewhere in the bowels of Denvers International Airport (DIA).
I explained I'd been in the same clothes, no shower, etc for coming up 24 hours, so I was given an Amenity Kit which included Shampoo, Soap, Deoderant, Comb, Razor, Shaving Cream, Hair Spray, Breath Mints, Hand Lotion, Tootbrush and Toothpaste etc. So apart from having no change of clothes, I was satisfied.
I also took this time to get my boarding pass to Nashville the next morning, I mean my bag had their `boarding pass' so I may as well get mine. I also asked where I should go to pick up my hotel shuttle. The lady asked if I had called for one and I said I didn't know if I had to or if they just came at regular intervals. So she called the hotel and they said they'd send the shuttle and it would be about 20 minutes.
All in all she did a good job and helped me out!
The shuttle was more like 40 minutes, but got talking to some other people who were waiting for shuttles. Apparently just after the plane I was on took off from Los Angeles they had an emergency with another plane where the landing gear wouldn't retract after taking off and had to make an emergency landing back at LAX, so all the flights were delayed for an hour or more.
Finally, the shuttle turned up and we were on our way to the hotel. As this was a frequent flyer award I picked the cheapest hotel that had a free shuttle, which was Sleep Inn at about $50 for the night.
Got to the room and noticed after a few minutes a `beep' every 30 seconds or so. I knew what it was - the smoke detector battery. I phoned the lobby and they said they could send back the shuttle driver after he comes back from the airport but that may be a while. So I went downstairs and got a replacement battery myself and changed it.
Ate my dinner, which was pretty edible for some take away stuff I bought almost 2 hours earlier.
Had a shower, changed into (oh that's right all my `changed into' clothes were somewhere in the bowels of Denver Airport) my underwear (I know gross) and went to bed - it was about 10pm Denver Time, 2pm on the 26th Brisbane time and apart from the couple restless hours on the plane from Auckland to Los Angeles I'd just clocked up around 33 hours without any sleep.
Goodnight.....
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